Method and apparatus for forming parallelepipedic packages having folded-up end flaps from a continuous tubular material and for effecting a two-stage advance of the material to ensure proper registration for indicia on the package

ABSTRACT

1,097,086. Packaging-machines. TEPAR A.G. Dec. 10, 1965 [Jan. 21, 1965], No. 52579/65. Heading B8C. A packaging machine in which articles or increments of material are fed into a tube of packaging film &amp;c. which is sealed transversely at intervals to form packages, includes means which flatten end flaps formed by package shaping and are used to vary the distance the tube is fed through the package-forming area to produce registration of the package or printing &amp;c. relative to the transverse sealing, severing or other operations. The machine forms rectangular sided packages by associating mould halves 2, 3 and end flaps forming members 4 with the sealing- jaws 6, 7. The members 4 are pivoted assemblies at 5 and their inward swinging, flap pressing movement normally draws down the tube to an extent additional to that accomplished by the (as shown) vertical reciprocating movement of the closed jaws and mould halves. This additional movement is varied for registration purposes by reducing the inward swing. Pivoting of the members 4 is produced by lever and draw rod means 11, 14, Fig. 4, the rod 14 being moved horizontally by a cam track 16 as the jaws and mould move vertically. The throw of the draw rod and thus the movement of the members 4 is altered by shifting the cam track horizontally by pneumatic or other means 24 in response to signals emanating from a photo-electric device (not shown) scanning marks on the packaging web. The jaw and mould means may be duplicated for continuous tube movement. Coarse and fine movement of the track 16 is provided for.

H. A. G. A

Dec. 24, 1968 BRAHAMSON MING PARALLELE PS FROM A CONTINUO METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FOR PIPEDIC PACKAGES HAVING FOLDED-UP END FLA US TUBULAR MAT RIAL AND FOR EFFECTING A TWO-STAGE ADVANCE OF MATERIAL TO ENSURE PROPER REGISTRATION FOR INDICIA ON THE PACKAGE Filed Dec. 10, 1965 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 24, 1968 H. A. G. ABRAHAMSON 3,417,574

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PARALLELEPIPEDIC PACKAGES HAVING FOLDED-UP END FLAP-'5 FROM A CONTINUOUS TUBULAR MATERIAL AND FOR EFFECTING A TWOSTAGE ADVANCE OF THE MATERIAL TO ENSURE PROPER REGISTRATION FOR INDICIA ON THE PACKAGE Filed Dec. 10, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4

i 16 A A 17 5 1968 H. A. G. ABRAHAMSON 3,417,574

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PARALLELEPIPEDIC PACKAGES HAVING FOLDED-UP END FLAPS FROM A CONTINUOUS TUBULAR MATERIAL AND FOR EFFECTING A TWOSTAGE ADVANCE OF THE MATERIAL TO ENSURE PROPER REGISTRATION FOR INDICIA ON THE PACKAGE Filed Dec. 10, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.6

United States Patent "ice 3,417,674 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING PARALLELEPIPEDIC PACKAGES HAVING FOLDED-UP END FLAPS FROM A CONTINU- OUS TUBULAR MATERIAL AND FOR EF- FECTING A TWO=STAGE ADVANCE OF THE MATERIAL TO ENSURE PROPER REGISTRA- TION FOR INDICIA ON THE PACKAGE Hans A. G. Abrahamson, Lund, Sweden, assignor to AB Tetra Pak, Lnnd, Sweden, :1 company of Sweden Filed Dec. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 512,984 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Jan. 12, 1965, 862/65 6 Claims. (Cl. 93--8) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method and apparatus for forming parallelepipedic packages from a continuous length of tubular material comprises a pair of mold halves which square up the tubular material into a rectangular configuration, a pair of pressing jaws coordinated with the mold halves which form a transverse seal and effect a primary advance of the package material between the mold halves, and a pair of folding flaps which function to flat-press triangular flaps projecting from both sides of the package body and also serve to effect a secondary advance of the package material, the extent of this secondary advance being determined by the amount of movement imparted to the folding flaps and being adjustable to ensure proper placement of printing or other indicia on the package material in relation to the package being formed.

The present invention refers to a method or registering ornamentation, creases, stamped holes or the like in manufacturing packages of a tubular material. For this purpose the invention starts from well-known methods of manufacturing packages by fiat-pressing and sealing in relatively narrow zones transverse in relation to the tube axis and spaced along the latter, the individual packages being detached from each other by transverse cuts in the sealing zones.

Methods of manufacture of this kind are now in practical use in a variety of packaging machines. In most of these machines the tube is produced in timed relation with the actual packaging process from a packaging web material which is thereby bent into form and sealed in a longitudinal joint along the longitudinal edges thereof. The web material may consist of paper coated with plastic on one or both sides but other laminates, for example with metal foil layers, as well as single-ply webs, for example of plastic alone, exist. Certain of the packaging machines in question produce a tube without such a longitudinal joint by extruding plastic by means of an annular nozzle. Furthermore, packaging machines have been suggested in which, starting from a web, a longitudinal joint tube is made, in the interior of which an inner tube without longitudinal joint is extruded, said inner seamless tube being preferably caused to adhere to the exterior tube along the whole inside of the latter.

The object of the present invention is to register ornamentation, stamped holes, creases or the like with which the starting material for the abovementioned method of packaging is provided. This is attained according to the invention by bringing about the advance of the tube material in two steps, the length of the last step being made dependent on whether an indication mark provided on 3,417,674 Patented Dec. 24, 1968 each or certain of the package units has passed a sensing member.

Essentially, the invention is intended to be practiced in manufacturing parallelepipedic packages in a corresponding shaped mold with simultaneous axial upsetting of one or both end surfaces of the package, triangular, projecting flaps being formed at these end surfaces. The second advance step may then be performed by flat-pressing of said flaps, the length of said second step adjusted by flaps belonging to dilferent packages being pressed flap to varying extents.

The invention also refers to a device for carrying out the method described above, including main advancing means for advancing a tubular material, pressing jaws for flat-pressing and sealing the tubular material in relatively narrow zones transverse in relation to the tube axis and spaced along the latter, and cutting means for detaching the individual packages from each other by transverse cuts in the sealing zones, this device being characterized by secondary advancing means for providing a second advancing step, the length of which is dependent on whether an indication mark provided on each or certain of the packages has passed a sensing member belonging to the device.

The invention is illustrated more in detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, which by way of example show a couple of embodiments of a device according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically a device for manufacturing a square section package.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show in section and on an enlarged scale a detail from FIG. 1 in various positions.

FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically the operating means for the detail shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIGS. 5 and 6 finally show how certain details of the operating means according to FIG. 4 may be designed in practice.

Referring to FIG. 1, in the device there shown a tube 1 is fed in between two mold halves 2 and 3 which give the tube a rectangular cross-section. The mold halves cooperate with two folding flaps 4 only one of which is shown in FIG. 1 and which are mounted on axles 5. These details cooperate furthermore with two pressing jaws 6 and 7 in such a way that the bottom of the finished package 8 is upset to be essentially fiat while forming triangular flaps 9 and a transverse seal 10, the flaps 9 being intended at a later operating stage to be folded up against the package side, whereupon the transverse seal 10 is folded up against the package bottom. Normally two sets of mold halves, folding flaps and pressing jaws operate alternately. In order to illustrate the invention, however, it has been considered suflicient to show only one set in FIG. 1.

In the device shown in FIG. 1 a first advance step is provided by the pressing jaws 6 and 7 being arranged to pull the tube 1 forward. The second advance step of the tube is then produced by shifting the folding flap initially positioned at 4' to the position designated by 4 in FIG. 2, which produces a flat-pressing of the underlying triangular flap 9 also causing the tube to be pulled forward again. If then only a slightly less second advance step is required the folding flap is folded inwards only to the position designated by 4 in FIG. 3. In practice it has been found that the angle designated by a in FIG. 3, substantially influences the advance distance at the same time as it has a quite negligible influence on the volume of the finished package.

Referring to FIG. 4, it shows diagrammatically, by way of example, the operating means for the folding flaps 4 which are stationary in relation to the halves 2 and 3 (not shown in FIG. 4). Non-rotatably mounted in relation to the folding flaps on the same axles are two eccentric arms 11 the free ends of which are in engagement by means of pins 12 with actuating arms 13 on a draw rod 14. The details 45 and 11-14 shown in FIG. 4 are mounted movable together with the mold halves 2 and 3 and the pressing jaws 6 and 7 in the direction of the arrow A, i.e., in the tube feeding direction, the second advance step being produced by the engagement of the guide roll 15 mounted on the draw-rod 14 in a groove 16 in a guide cam unit 17. In order to vary the length of the second advance step the guide cam unit 17 is movable laterally in the direction of of the arrow B. This movement is produced by the unit 17 being provided with projections 18 which are mounted on bell-crank levers 19 which in turn are mounted at fixed points in the machine frame on pivots 20. By means of further pivots 21 the bell-crank levers 19 are coupled to a second draw-rod 22 which via a link 23 is coupled to a hydraulic cylinder 24. From the above it will be seen that the guide cam unit 17 is displaced in the direction of the arrow B when the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder is pressed outwards and in the opposite direction when the piston rod is drawn into the hydraulic cylinder. In order to limit this movement in a lateral direction. the draw-rod 22 is provided with a projection 25 with a set screw 26 which is normally arranged to cooperate with a displaceable stop 27 which is inserted between the set screw 26 and a stationary stop 28a.

Furthermore there is a second stationary stop 28!) which is adapted to cooperate with the other end of the set screw 26. If the set screw 26 is held pressed against second stop 28b the folding fiaps 4 are caused to carry out complete angular movement, i.e. the flaps 9 are pressed completely fiat. The adjustment is such that the advance step obtained by the flat-pressing will be slightly greater than is required for providing exact registration. When this has caused a difference in registration of a certain magnitude in the packaging web material, which is ascertained by one of a number of indication marks arranged at even intervals within the range of a sensing unit, i.e. a photo cell, the hydraulic cylinder 24 receives an impulse, so that the set screw 26 is instead pressed against the stop 27. Thereby the guide unit 17 is moved in a direction opposite to the arrow B, which causes the folding flaps 4 to press the triangular flaps 9 only incompletely flat. Thereby the advance step obtained will be smaller than normally so that the registration is changed in the desired direction.

If greater adjustment, i.e. shorter angular flap movements, are desired the stop 27 is removed. For this purpose it is attached to the piston rod 29 of a second hydraulic cylinder 30. Such greater adjustments may be suitable for example in the case of exchange of splicing of the tube web material.

Finally, FIGS. and 6 show how certain details of the operating means shown in FIG. 4 may be designed in practice. Because the details generally coincide with those described above the same reference numerals as in FIG. 4, have used, although with the addition of a letter. Thus, the folding flaps have been designated by 412 and the pivots thereof by 5a. Furthermore, the eccentrics corresponding to the eccentric arms 11 have been designated by 11a and the pivots and sliding blocks, corresponding to the pivots 12, have been designated by 12a and 12b, respectively. In the same manner actuating arms cooperating with said sliding blocks 12b have been designated by 1311. The greatest difference in relation to the device shown in FIG. 4 is in the design of details corresponding to the draw-rod 14, said details consisting of an actuating rod 14a, a draw'rod 14b, a spring coupling 140, a link coupling 14d, and an adjustment link 14 mounted pivotally at He, said link 14f being provided with a set screw 14;; and carrying a pin 15a corresponding to the guide pin 4 15. Generally, these details function in the same way as the draw-rod 14 shown in FIG. 4, with the associated guide pin 15, and further description thereof will therefore not be required.

The invention is naturally not limited only to the examples described above but may be varied within the scope of the following claims. Thus, the form of the individual details may be varied within wide limits of equivalent details substituted therefor. For example, the two hydraulic cylinders 24 and 30 may be exchanged for a slide valve having three positions, by means of which the draw-row 22 in the same way as described above may be caused to perform two different strokes for fine and coarse adjustment, respectively. Of course, the hydraulic cylinders may also be exchanged for pneumatic cylinders. As a starting material one may use either a seamless tube or a tube which is formed from a fiat web of material in a preceding operating stage.

I claim:

1. The method of producing parallelepipedic packages from a continuous length of tubular packaging material which includes indicia such as printing thereon repeated at spaced intervals along said material corresponding to the length of the successive packages to be formed which comprises the steps of advancing and shaping a length of said tubular material to the desired side wall rectangular configuration simultaneously with upsetting the end portions of said length of material to form flattened ends of the package including triangular end flaps projecting laterally of said ends, and thereafter pressing said triangular end flaps towards a flattened state to effect a corresponding supplementary advance of said shaped tubular material, the degree of flattening of said end flaps being determined by the position of said indicia on said material in relation to a stationary sensing member.

2. Apparatus for producing parallelepipedic packages from a continuous length of tubular packaging material which includes indicia such as printing thereon repeated at spaced intervals along said material corresponding to the length of the successive packages to be formed which comprises cooperating jaw means for advancing and shaping a length of said material to the desired side wall configuration simultaneously with upsetting the end portions of said length of material to form flattened ends of the package including triangular end flaps projecting laterally of said ends, a pair of pivotally mounted flap folding members for pressing said triangular end flaps and to simultaneously effect a comparatively minor and supplemental advance of said material depending upon the magnitude of the angular movement of said flap folding members, and means controlling the angular movement of said flap folding members in accordance with the position of said indicia on said material in relation to a stationary sensing member.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said flap folding members includes two adjacent faces forming a right angle, one of said faces in the case of a maximum angular movement of said members abutting the corresponding side of the package and the other face abutting the upper surface of the corresponding triangular end flap.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said flap folding members are each actuated by means of an arm secured thereto and a draw rod coupled to said arms for simultaneous actuation of said arms.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said arms for actuating said flaps folding members and said draw rod together with said jaw means for advancing and shaping a length of said material into package form are mounted for movement together as a unit, an end of said draw rod being arranged to come into contact with and be guided by a guide cam during movement of said unit, the extent of the angular movement of said flap folding members being determined by a movement of said guide cam in the operating direction of said draw rod.

3,417,674 5 6 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said guide References Cited cam is actuated by a second draw rod, said second draw UNITED STATES PATENTS rod being movable by means of a hydraulic cylinder, and said second draw rod being cooperative alternatively 2,869,298 1/1959 Zwoyer 5351 with a first stop for performing short strokes in the case 5 235011588 8/1960 Gflusmay 5351 where a normal fine angular movement of said flap fold- 3,325,961 6/1967 Lmdh et a1 53 28 ing members is required or with a second stop for per- BERNARD STICKNEY Primary Examiner forming longer strokes in the case where an abnormal coarse angular movement of said flap folding members is US. Cl. X.R.

required. 10 53-28, 51; 93-35 

